Gary Naylor - Page 27

Cyprus Avenue is a blistering black comedy illuminated by a sensational performance from Stephen Rea as Eric, a man adrift in a world that is changing too quickly for him, feeding a psychosis about to explode.

The Paper Man starts off with the story of Austria's 1930s football hero Matthias Sindelar but swiftly dummies the Nazis and nutmegs for a narrative about the construction of narratives - and becomes rather dull as a consequence.

Phil Willmott tries to rescue two shows with the plot of a third, but his show also never quite coheres, for all the energy expended by the hard-working cast.

The King's Head pulls off another re-imagining of a classic opera that packs plenty of punch and is a joy for newbies and old hands alike.

Rip It Up The 60s is unabashed entertainment full of great songs, plenty of dancing and a handful of stars from Strictly.

A wonderful version of The Winter's Tale that is made for young people but has plenty to say to those of us as old as Leontes and Polixenes.

The Moscow Pushkin Drama Theatre brings its modern, surreal take on Chekhov's classic play to The Barbican, with a barb or two directed towards some familiar faces.

BWW talks to Ruth Mary Johnson about her version of The Winter's Tale at the National Theatre and about her philosophy in making theatre works for young people.

The Orchestra digs into the hearts of the six women and one man stuck playing light classics in a hollowed out French spa town and finds bleak, Chekhovian humour in their plights.

Les Mis has been in London almost as long as I have - here's how we have grown old together.

Danielle Walker: Bush Rat takes on the tricky task of examining a largely happy family for comic material and, aside from a few references to the strange ways of Outback Australia, inevitably comes up short.

Kieran Hodgson dissects the history of the UK's relationship with Europe in this funny, poignant and wonderfully well-informed show.

What a strange thing is Violet - indeed, what a strange thing is Violet, our eponymous heroine. But more of that later.

Pippa Evans talks about the long-running Showstopper! (back in the West End) and about her life in theatre.

A Modest Little Man tells us something of the man and his achievements, Clement Attlee surrounded by egos and rivals (talented though) in this gem of a political comedy.

Kristine Landon-Smith talks about directing her revival of Jean Anouilh's The Orchestra and about her unique life in theatre.

Rosenbaum's Rescue compelling drama concerns itself with big questions (like what is truth) as they apply to a fractured family today and the interpretation of traumatic events in the past.

Gabriel Gbadamosi's writing touches on many hot button topics for 2019, but it never quite finds the characters to lend credibility and, crucially, empathy, to his contemporary and important play.

I confess to entering the theatre with a sense of foreboding. The legend of Orson Wells' The War of the Worlds has been done to death - the radio broadcast that created panic across the USA, as people were convinced that Martians had landed in New Jersey. So what? It was over 80 years ago and we'd never fall for that these days...

Phil Willmott's updating of An Enemy of the People could hardly be more timely, but falls a little flat for want of some attention to detail.